Where I live we don’t do the door to door thing. There are not many subdivisions with rows of homes close to each other here. There is no public transit or street lighting. We live on a small forested island. The topography is challenging even in day light hours (hairpin turns, blind spots, huge inclines & drops).

As a result 50 years ago a children’s Halloween hayride and large community party was brought into being. There are two beaches that we use to set up an outdoor Halloween wonderland. There are several homes converted into “haunted houses” for touring set up close by. We have multiple marquee featuring games, skits, music and dancing. We have lots of homemade treats & hot chocolate. There are also wandering minstrels, vampires, werewolves and clowns that give out candy. There are fairies, witches and vampire brides who do the same too.

As this is an an artists colony full of artists, musicians and theatrical people everyone goes all out when it comes to costuming and being “in character”. All our local business people go all out and their employees are costumed throughout the week prior to Halloween. Perhaps the best part of our Halloween here is “The Tunnel”. It’s a stretch of road that cuts through the deepest part of the forest like a tunnel. One week prior to Halloween people bring their carved pumpkins and set them up with candles along the sides of the road, in the ditches and on tree branches. They return each night to light the candles. The result is truly spooky and very cool.

The volunteer fire department has a barge in the bay where they have a tremendous fireworks display at 10 PM to end the night.